Bentonville McKee Foods Employee Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Workers at McKee Foods are often covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance.  This helps them deal with injuries at work without needing to file a lawsuit in Bentonville, potentially helping them to cover medical bills and lost wages covered without needing to prove fault.

Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law, is a Bentonville McKee Foods Workers’ Compensation lawyer who represents victims of injuries at the Gentry, AR McKee Foods plant and other workers across the state in injury claims.  For help understanding what your injury case might be worth and how to get paid through worker’s compensation, call us today at (479) 316-0438 to set up a free legal consultation.

What Bentonville, AR McKee Foods Workers Qualify for Workers’ Compensation

If you work at McKee Foods and live in Bentonville or anywhere else in Benton County, an injury at work could mean filing for worker’s compensation coverage.  However, not all McKee Foods workers are covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance.  First, Workers’ Compensation only covers employees.  That means that independent contractors are typically not covered by a company’s Workers’ Compensation insurance, even for very large companies like McKee.  Second, Arkansas’ Workers’ Compensation laws exclude “agricultural” workers from coverage, which means that certain workers at McKee might not have coverage.

If you are not covered by Workers’ Compensation at McKee, you might be able to file a lawsuit for your injuries instead.  Workers’ compensation is essentially an alternative to filing a lawsuit, and this system often gets workers damages without asking them to first prove whose fault the injuries were.  Having to prove fault in a lawsuit would make it harder for some workers to get damages outside of Workers’ Compensation, but a lawsuit might allow them to claim additional damages for their trouble.

What Is Covered by McKee Foods’ Workers’ Compensation Policy in Bentonville?

Our attorneys do not know the specifics of the Workers’ Compensation insurance policy in place at McKee Foods.  However, we do understand what the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission requires of employers in the state, and we can explain what kinds of coverage are usually required.

Workers’ comp. plans in Arkansas are required to cover wages at a rate of 66 2/3% of the worker’s recent average weekly wages.  This means that if you were hurt at work, McKee’s insurance should pay you 2/3 of your typical wages while you cannot work.  For these wage-loss benefits to kick in, you usually have to have an injury that is severe enough that it will keep you out of work for two weeks, and there is often a delay in when the wages will kick in.

Workers’ compensation also must cover medical bills related to your injury.  This means covering emergency medical treatment immediately after your injury, e.g., an ambulance ride to the hospital and treatment at the ER.  After that, workers’ comp. should continue to cover all necessary medical expenses tied to the injury as long as you follow certain requirements.  First, you must use a doctor that your employer or their insurance company approved.  Usually, McKee or their worker’s comp. insurance company will provide workers with a list of approved care providers.  Second, medical treatment is covered as long as it stems from the treatment plan that your treating physician supplied.  Third, you must continue to keep up with your care, follow the treatment plan, and appear at all required appointments and checkups to continue getting your medical care covered.

Workers’ comp. does not typically cover pain and suffering damages.

How Long Do Workers’ Comp. Benefits Last for McKee Foods Workers in Bentonville, AR?

Workers’ comp. benefits that McKee Foods or any other employer in Arkansas pays usually follow certain rules.  Your employer and their insurance company likely want to pay as little as possible, which means that they might take steps to shut down your benefits early or schedule short-term coverage by whatever legal means they can.  In most cases, you should have a Workers’ Compensation lawyer review your case and makes sure that you are getting the full benefits you deserve and that they are going to last for the full coverage period the law entitles you to.

Many benefits are scheduled based on the injury sustained.  Loss of an appendage or body part – or loss of function in that body part – is organized in a table administrated by the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission (AWCC) and Arkansas lawmakers.  Arkansas’ rules provide that a certain number of weeks of benefits should be given depending on the injury.  For instance, loss of the index finger should result in 43 weeks of benefits, and loss of a leg at the knee should result in 184 weeks of benefits.  Total disability, complete temporary disability, and other combinations of injuries all result in different lengths of benefits.  A partial loss might result in partial benefits.

In many cases, workers’ comp. benefits could be shut off because of technicalities or problems with your filings.  Working with a lawyer, you can appeal those decisions and fight to keep your benefits.  However, you cannot return to work while receiving benefits, or else you risk having them terminated immediately.  Talk to a lawyer for help understanding how long you will be able to rely on your benefits and what restrictions you face in the meantime.

Call Our Bentonville McKee Foods Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Workers at McKee Foods might be entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits after a serious on-the-job injury.  Our Bentonville McKee Foods Workers’ Compensation lawyer, Ken Kieklak, may be able to help with your case.  Contact Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law, today for a free legal consultation with our Fayetteville, AR workers’ comp lawyer and more information about your claim.  Our number is (479) 316-0438.